Baboons are often described as a savanna dwelling species, living in clear open grasslands and near wooded areas. Olive Baboons do conform with this description yet also inhabit a number of different habitats including scrublands, woodlands, evergreen forests and close to areas of human residency and farmland.
Olive Baboons have the largest range of all baboons and very easily adapt to new environments. They can be found across a strip of Africa which comes very close meeting both the East and West coasts. Key features of a perfect Baboon habitat include an ample source of water and food and an elevated sleeping site of some description.
Baboons sleep in large groups called troops in elevated areas like in large trees or on cliffs. These sites provide excellent protection from their predators (Lions , Chimpanzees , Eagles and Leopards ). With their finely developed hands and feet, climbing up trees is a simple task. At night social groups tend to always return to the same sleeping area. It is very rare to find a baboon willingly rest at night upon the ground.
Figure 6: Baboons in natural savanna habitat (Kenya)
As for baboons and water, they usually drink every one or two days however can survive without water for far longer periods by licking off the dew that gathers on their fur at night.
Olive Baboons have been studied and observed for a number of years in Gilgil, Kenya. Here the habitat is relatively clear grassy plains with a minimal amount of trees. The area is characterised by grassy plains, odd patches of shrub, valleys separated by rocky cliffs and very few trees managing to survive in the arid rocky soil. Here the Olive Baboons are living virtually next door to their number one predators, humans. Many people in Africa practice baboon hunting (click here to see more).
Olive Baboons can be found dwelling in human cultivated areas. Unfortunately here they are seen as pests. Upturning rubbish bins, breaking into houses in search of food and destroying crops. Baboons are sometimes described as an "agricultural pest" and varmint . Baboons are aware that humans can easier hunt and injure them while they hide in trees so they usually escape by running through the undergrowth.
Figure 3: Area Inhabited by the Olive Baboon
Physical Description:General Baboons: Papio are large members of the Cercopithicidae family with weights ranging between 10-31kg. Males are almost double the side of the females.Other differences between male and female baboons include males usually have a long beard. Their thick fur ranges in colour from yellow to red and olive-gray through to black. The young is born with fur of a dark shade. Olive Baboons: are one of the largest of Baboon kind. Full grown adults weigh between 22 and 37kg.
Figure 4: Baby Olive Baboon
Reproduction: Both sexes reach sexual maturity between ages 4 and 6. Mating is of the polygynadrous nature and baboons may have several different mating partners, The females attract males during their estrus or ovulation period. Copulation is a somewhat ritualised procedure involving the female presenting her bottom to the male signifying she is sexually willing. Female baboons have also been reported to raise their eyebrows and flatten their ears while attempting to entice a male and males may smack their lips, make 'friendly faces' and gently push at the female. Breeding takes place all throughout the year and the gestation period for baboons is 180days
Behavior: Baboons are motile and move spontaneously and actively throughout the day yet usually repose at night at one of a few chosen sleeping sites.
Food Habits: The diet of an average Olive Baboon consists of fruit, leaves, insects, lizards and occasionally somewhat larger prey like gazelle fawns. During the drying months of the year when some of these foods are not available, grass makes up a massive 90% of a baboon's diet.
Ecosystem Roles: Baboons play a significant role in their ecosystems. Baboons are frugivores (fruit eaters) and as they tentatively pick at their food they disperse and scatter seeds. They also contribute to soil aeration as they eat bulbs and tubers. Baboons also serve as prey to larger African Animals.
Adaptions
Figure 5: Labelled diagram of Olive Baboon
Structural
Baboons have considerably long opposable thumbs like humans. These thumbs are put into play as tools to help them carefully peel, pick at, prepare and strip food. As Baboons are frugivores having these nimble fingers and thumbs significantly help them prepare food for eating.
An environmental pressure that may have influenced the Baboons developing such thumbs is a lack of other food sources that don't require preparing and an abundance of fruit.
The mouth of a baboon perfectly adapted to it's eating habits. Baboons have have longs jaws and strong molars, similar to those of a dog which allow them to effectively grind tougher food. They are also equip with cheek pouches. available to stuff and store with food, to happily eat later, in a safer environment.
Environmental pressure: These cheek pouches may have developed after years and years of baboons being hunted by predators while they sat and ate. Baboons with larger cheeks would of have a clear advantage over those without as they possessed the ability to grab and store food quickly and find an area later, free from danger to feed.
Behavioral
Sleeping arrangements: Baboons sleep in large groups called troops in elevated areas like in large trees or on cliffs. These sites provide excellent protection from their predators (Lions , Chimpanzees , Eagles and Leopards ). With their finely developed hands and feet, climbing up trees is a simple task. At night social groups tend to always return to the same sleeping area. It is very rare to find a baboon willingly rest at night upon the ground.
Environmental pressure: Baboons may have taken to sleeping in trees and in large number to protect themselves from predators. The trees leaves would provide an excellent camouflage and protect them from predators in the sky and also the natural elements.
The Olive Baboon's polygynadrous nature increases the species ability to survive. If male and female were bound together and one member of the couple was to die the other would no longer reproduce and the population of baboons would decrease. Currently the baboon species is at a low risk of extinction and their reproduction habits would surely contribute to to success.
Environmental pressure: It has been suggested ithat Baboons have always had these mating habits. Perhaps there was a time where the species did only mate in couples.
Baboons are highly developed and clever creatures. Olive Baboons live is groups known as troops which can range in numbers of 15 to 150. These groups have a complex hierarchy and where a certain male or female ranks has different consequences. High ranking females have a large amount of freedom and those females with lower ranks must accommodate with their wishes. For males, ranking has much less subtle and more direct consequences than with female ranks. Males with higher ranks find making successful sexual courtships with females far easier than those with low ranks. A female can not stop a male from mating with her however she can very subtly influence the success of the relations. Females remain in their natal troop throughout their entire lives however males are know to leave and join other troops when they reach sexual maturity to mate. Females may form close, long lasting relationships with one or two males and mate only with these males. These friendships may involve grooming sessions, foraging for food and sleeping nearby one another. These hierarchies and conventions help baboons live in peace together. Living in a large group is important as they provide protection from predators and large groups make tasks like gathering food far easier. The environmental pressure that may have arisen to cause baboons to develop such hierarchy and troop system is for protection, as there is safety in numbers and for a sense of control and order. Another factor that may have contributed to the baboons sticking together in such a way is finding that they thrive in numbers and happiness because of staying with family. Baboons are social creatures and they may have realised this system works and passed it down through generation
Physiological
Baboons have particularly keen sensory organs. Their senses of sight, hearing and smell are impeccable. This keen sense of smell helps protect them from incoming predators as they can smell them approaching. Their sense of sight helps them locate food and spotting pray. Baboons are very vocal animals so their keen sense of hearing helps them receive calls from other members of their troop as well as hear danger approaching.
Environmental pressure that may have encouraged baboons to develop such precise sensory organs is the fact in the habitats in which they dwell it is very competitive. Animals need to be keen predators in order to survive. Any heightened sense would surely give the baboons more of a chance for survival.
Figure 3. Area Inhabited by the Olive Baboon (original map without shading) Wikipedia. (2010). Africa. Retrieved 22nd July, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa
The Baboon: The Modern Organism
Description
- Geographic Range: West to East Africa.
- Habitat:
Baboons are often described as a savanna dwelling species, living in clear open grasslands and near wooded areas. Olive Baboons do conform with this description yet also inhabit a number of different habitats including scrublands, woodlands, evergreen forests and close to areas of human residency and farmland.Olive Baboons have the largest range of all baboons and very easily adapt to new environments. They can be found across a strip of Africa which comes very close meeting both the East and West coasts. Key features of a perfect Baboon habitat include an ample source of water and food and an elevated sleeping site of some description.
Baboons sleep in large groups called troops in elevated areas like in large trees or on cliffs. These sites provide excellent protection from their predators (Lions , Chimpanzees , Eagles and Leopards ). With their finely developed hands and feet, climbing up trees is a simple task. At night social groups tend to always return to the same sleeping area. It is very rare to find a baboon willingly rest at night upon the ground.
As for baboons and water, they usually drink every one or two days however can survive without water for far longer periods by licking off the dew that gathers on their fur at night.
Olive Baboons have been studied and observed for a number of years in Gilgil, Kenya. Here the habitat is relatively clear grassy plains with a minimal amount of trees. The area is characterised by grassy plains, odd patches of shrub, valleys separated by rocky cliffs and very few trees managing to survive in the arid rocky soil. Here the Olive Baboons are living virtually next door to their number one predators, humans. Many people in Africa practice baboon hunting (click here to see more).
Olive Baboons can be found dwelling in human cultivated areas. Unfortunately here they are seen as pests. Upturning rubbish bins, breaking into houses in search of food and destroying crops. Baboons are sometimes described as an "agricultural pest" and varmint . Baboons are aware that humans can easier hunt and injure them while they hide in trees so they usually escape by running through the undergrowth.
Figure 4: Baby Olive Baboon
Reproduction: Both sexes reach sexual maturity between ages 4 and 6. Mating is of the polygynadrous nature and baboons may have several different mating partners, The females attract males during their estrus or ovulation period. Copulation is a somewhat ritualised procedure involving the female presenting her bottom to the male signifying she is sexually willing. Female baboons have also been reported to raise their eyebrows and flatten their ears while attempting to entice a male and males may smack their lips, make 'friendly faces' and gently push at the female. Breeding takes place all throughout the year and the gestation period for baboons is 180days
- Behavior: Baboons are motile and move spontaneously and actively throughout the day yet usually repose at night at one of a few chosen sleeping sites.
- Food Habits: The diet of an average Olive Baboon consists of fruit, leaves, insects, lizards and occasionally somewhat larger prey like gazelle fawns. During the drying months of the year when some of these foods are not available, grass makes up a massive 90% of a baboon's diet.
- Ecosystem Roles: Baboons play a significant role in their ecosystems. Baboons are frugivores (fruit eaters) and as they tentatively pick at their food they disperse and scatter seeds. They also contribute to soil aeration as they eat bulbs and tubers. Baboons also serve as prey to larger African Animals.
AdaptionsAn environmental pressure that may have influenced the Baboons developing such thumbs is a lack of other food sources that don't require preparing and an abundance of fruit.
Environmental pressure: These cheek pouches may have developed after years and years of baboons being hunted by predators while they sat and ate. Baboons with larger cheeks would of have a clear advantage over those without as they possessed the ability to grab and store food quickly and find an area later, free from danger to feed.
Environmental pressure: Baboons may have taken to sleeping in trees and in large number to protect themselves from predators. The trees leaves would provide an excellent camouflage and protect them from predators in the sky and also the natural elements.
Environmental pressure: It has been suggested ithat Baboons have always had these mating habits. Perhaps there was a time where the species did only mate in couples.
The environmental pressure that may have arisen to cause baboons to develop such hierarchy and troop system is for protection, as there is safety in numbers and for a sense of control and order. Another factor that may have contributed to the baboons sticking together in such a way is finding that they thrive in numbers and happiness because of staying with family. Baboons are social creatures and they may have realised this system works and passed it down through generation
Environmental pressure that may have encouraged baboons to develop such precise sensory organs is the fact in the habitats in which they dwell it is very competitive. Animals need to be keen predators in order to survive. Any heightened sense would surely give the baboons more of a chance for survival.
Sources
Figure 1. Scientific Classification
Wikipeadia. (2010). Olive Baboon. Retrieved 19th July, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_baboon
Figure 2. Adult Olive Baboon Image
Stolz, Gary M. (2001). Animal Pictures Archive. Retrieved 16th July, 2010, from http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=2&did=5085&lang=kr
Figure 3. Area Inhabited by the Olive Baboon
(original map without shading) Wikipedia. (2010). Africa. Retrieved 22nd July, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa
Figure 4. Baby Baboon Image
G.R.Guy (2008). Kenya 2008, Baby Olive Baboon. Retrieved 16th July, 2010, from http://www.grguy.net/2008-K-2008-Olive-Baboon-baby.html
Figure 5. Labelled Diagram Of Olive Baboon
(image only from) Jon. (2007). Rwanda. Retrieved 22nd July, 2010, from http://www.mammalwatching.com/Afrotropical/afrotroprwanda.html
Figure 6. Baboons in natural savanna habitat (Kenya)
Chuck. (2007). Mount Kenya Safari Journal 2007. Retrieved 23rd July, 2010, from http://africa.updmedia.com/kenya_2.php
Information
The Animal Files. (2010). Olive Baboon. Retrieved 22nd July, 2010, from http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/primates/baboon_olive.html
Amboseli Baboon Research Project. (2001). Being a Baboon: Baboon Social Life. Retrieved 24th July, 2010, from http://www.princeton.edu/~baboon/social_life.html
University of Wisconsin. (2010). Olive Baboons: Papio Anubis. Retrieved 19th July, 2010, from http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/olive_baboon/behav